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Gilbert Arenas Leaves Out LeBron James in His Top 5 Scorers List Which Includes Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Others

Published 05/18/2021, 3:29 AM EDT

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USA Today via Reuters

The NBA is home to a plethora of unique scores. Players from different parts of the world have showcased their scoring abilities since the league began. Former NBA All-star, Gilbert Arenas, appeared on the recent episode of ALL THE SMOKE to discuss the league’s top scorers. Notably, “Agent Zero” was one of the best clutch-shooters in the league’s history, and he named a list that included, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, Allen Iverson, and Carmelo Anthony; however, he left LeBron James out.

“I gotta be biased because I can only go as far as when I watched the game. Mine is gonna be from, I can’t go backwards… I will say Jordan, Kobe, just pure scorers. Kevin Durant, A.I, and I can’t sleep on Melo. It is hard to sleep on Melo. Joe Johnson has to be, he was a scorer, but I gotta go with Melo,” said Arenas.

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Gilbert Arenas’ top five scorers

Even though LeBron James is one of the best players to play basketball, Gilbert had other ideas.

The first name on the list was unsurprisingly Michael Jordan’s because he was arguably the greatest player of all time. Jordan averaged over 30 points per game from 1986 to 93. The numbers he produced on the court were revolutionary. Notably, the marketability he bought for the league was stupendous because of his performances on the court.

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The second name on his list was that of “The Black Mamba”. There were no players who epitomized the determination to shoot the way Kobe did. Although his field goal percentage was not exemplary, the sheer determination to be the best was there for everyone to see. Be it the mid-range or driving to the basket, the aesthetics involved in shooting the ball were remarkable.

Why was LeBron James not picked?

Drawing comparisons with Michael and Kobe for being a true offensive outlet, Kevin Durant has been one of the most consistent scorers in the league for the past decade. Notably, the four-time scoring champion is the most consistent scorer in the last decade. With an effective field goal percentage of over 54.5% in his career, it makes sense for him to be in the discussion.

The next two inclusions in this list were notable ones.

LeBron James is a future Hall of Famer. However, “Agent Zero” picked Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony over him. “A.I.” will always be a controversial figure in the NBA, but no one can deny the quality with which the shooting guard put points on the court. Even though he did not win the NBA title, the league will remember him for his performances that took the 76ers to the NBA finals in 2001 where they eventually lost to the Lakers.

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The jury is out on whether Anthony justifies his position amongst these great shooters. However, Melo won the 2013 NBA scoring title which speaks volumes about his offensive skill set on the court.

In conclusion, Arenas stressed how he thought these players influenced him while leaving out LeBron James even though Bron, on his day, can produce huge numbers for his team.

USA Today via Reuters

However, Gilbert Arenas had the final say because this was a list based on his opinions. Even though fans can argue with his judgment, the five players picked deserve their spot because of the offensive prowess they possessed.

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Jacob Gijy

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Jacob Gijy is an NBA writer at EssentiallySports. Gijy finished his Masters in Counselling Psychology and worked in a hospital for 2 years before his passion for sports compelled him to find his way to sports journalism. A fan of the great Tim Duncan, he is always ready to pick up a debate with anyone who does not offer the centre the respect he deserves.
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